Advisory:

Middle School Science Minute

Globe at Night

I was recently reading the Summer, 2017 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

In this issue, I read the the Citizen Science section article, “Summer Night Sky Citizen Science with Globe at Night.” It was written by Jill Nugent. The article describes how middle school students and teachers can get involved in the Citizen Science Project – “Globe at Night” to measure and report the brightness of the night sky in their geographic location. To participate, please visit:

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Schools Are Missing What Matters About Learning

Curiosity is underemphasized in the classroom, but research shows that it is one of the strongest markers of academic success.

When Orville Wright, of the Wright brothers fame, was told by a friend that he and his brother would always be an example of how far someone can go in life with no special advantages, he emphatically responded, “to say we had no special advantages … the greatest thing in our favor was growing up in a family where there was always much encouragement to intellectual curiosity.”

The power of curiosity to contribute not only to high achievement, but also to a fulfilling existence, cannot be emphasized enough.

In recent years, curiosity has been linked to happiness, creativity, satisfying intimate relationships, increased personal growth after traumatic experiences, and increased meaning in life.

“giftedness is not a chance event … giftedness will blossom when children’s cognitive ability, motivation and enriched environments coexist and meld together to foster its growth.”

12 back-to-school hacks with EXPO markers

Resources:

A Turnaround Success Story

There Are No Digital Natives

Oh, kids these days. When they want to know something they Google it. When they want to buy something they go to Amazon. When they want to date someone they open Tinder.

It’s almost like they’re from a different country, one where technology has bled into every aspect of life. These so-called “digital natives” are endowed with the ability to seamlessly interact with any device, app or interface, and have migrated many aspects of their lives to the Internet.

But “digital natives” don’t exist—at least according to new research—and it may be a fool’s errand to adapt traditional methods of learning or business to engage a generation steeped in technology.

The true existence of digital natives has come under question in the years since, as multiplestudies have shown that Millennials don’t necessarily use technology more often and are no better at using basic computer programs and functionalities than older generations.

Bringing new forms of technology into the classroom might not necessarily help younger kids learn, and, likewise, your new hire won’t have mastered the Adobe Suite just because they’re under 25.